Grand Theft Auto 6 already looks set to become the most expensive game ever made, and new financial details around Rockstar North’s staffing costs show just how massive the scale has become, with total expenses crossing billions even before marketing and global development costs enter the picture.
A Reddit user analyzed publicly available filings from a UK government website and highlighted Rockstar North’s total staff spending between 2019 and 2025, which includes wages, pensions, social security, and share-based payments.
Rockstar North staff costs already exceed $2.7 billion
The data shows that Rockstar North alone spent over £2.14 billion on staff costs across six years, which converts to roughly $2.72 billion, and this figure only represents one core studio within Rockstar’s global network.
| Period | Wages & Salaries | Social Security | Pension Costs | Share-Based Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2019–20 | £191,512,717 | £21,569,212 | £2,986,508 | £29,786,296 | £245,854,733 |
| FY2020–21 | £223,366,023 | £21,503,653 | £3,538,646 | £31,937,353 | £280,345,675 |
| FY2021–22 | £346,482,704 | £25,184,276 | £4,167,231 | £57,410,887 | £433,245,098 |
| FY2022–23 | £316,441,069 | £27,471,725 | £4,994,840 | £67,858,542 | £416,766,176 |
| FY2023–24 | £315,681,722 | £28,312,018 | £5,773,735 | £54,618,755 | £404,386,230 |
| FY2024–25 | £282,672,000 | £27,986,000 | £6,784,000 | £45,657,000 | £363,099,000 |
| Total | £2,143,696,912 |
These numbers cover development years that began shortly after Red Dead Redemption 2 launched in 2018, and they include ongoing work on GTA Online and limited support for Red Dead Online.
Rockstar North serves as the core studio, but Rockstar runs multiple teams across cities such as San Diego, Toronto, London, Leeds, Sydney, and Bengaluru, and each contributes to development, which means the actual total cost spreads far beyond the numbers listed above.
Industry estimates now suggest that GTA 6’s full budget could land between $4 billion and $5 billion once development, operations, and marketing are included, and this puts it far ahead of typical triple-A titles that usually cost around $300 million.
Rockstar also follows a development model that gives teams wide creative freedom, which increases both time and cost but helps deliver the level of detail players expect from the series.
Rockstar expects massive returns at launch
The game is currently set for release on November 19, 2026, and Rockstar expects to recover its investment quickly given the demand, especially since GTA Online continues to generate strong revenue and the next version is rumored to expand into a more persistent online experience.
At the same time, Rockstar North has faced internal challenges including layoffs, union-related disputes, and a recent workplace incident, although no injuries were reported, and development continues as planned.
With spending already in the billions and anticipation at record levels, GTA 6 stands as one of the biggest entertainment bets ever made.
